God missing from Fremont County park

FREMONT COUNTY, Colo. - Commissioners say they've been flooded with calls from concerned citizens since the word God was removed from an "In God We Trust" display.

The display is located at Fremont County War Memorial Park.

The letters were temporarily removed to be refurbished.

The display is being adorned with thousands of pennies. Each penny represents an American soldier who died in the Vietnam War.

Fremont County airport manager Richard Baker told the Commissioners this week that he has been getting an average of four inquiries daily since the letters were removed to have the pennies attached. Baker says that one tourist from Alabama stopped recently and went on a tirade about the missing letters. Baker said the man was still angry even after receiving an explanation.

The War Memorial Park Committee has informed the Commissioners that the fabrication work is nearly complete and the letters should be back in place in a matter of days.

District 3 Commissioner Ed Norden noted that the attention paid to the missing letters provides the county with an opportunity to make another appeal for more pennies. Project managers say they need another 300 pennies dated 1966, and another 4,000 pennies each from the years 1967 and 1968.

Anyone who has pennies with those dates can drop them in the donation box located at the Fremont County Clerk's Office at the County Administration Building at 615 Macon Avenue in Cañon City.

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